Die for making metal wheels



J. R. LITTLE. DIE FOR MAKING METAL'WHEELS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 13, 1-892.

m: cams PETERS co. mumumu. wasxluurou u c (No Model.) 2 SheetsSl1eet 2.J. R. LITTLE.

DIE FOR MAKING METAL WHEELS.

N0.'488,127. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

ATENT Fries.

JAMES R.LITTLE', OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

DIE FOR MAKING METAL WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 488,127, dated December13, 1892.

7 Application filed March 14, 1892. Serial No. 24,855. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES R. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams, and in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dies forMaking Metal WVheels; and I do herebydeclare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of thetwo hub-halves upon which my die is intended to operate; Fig.2,a view inelevation of my die with the hub-halves having the spokes insortedbetween them placed between the hubengaging die parts ready for acompressing operation; Fig. 3, a perspective View showing the top andmiddle parts of the die separated; Fig. 4, a view of a section on lineas x of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a view of a section on line y y of Fig. 3withthe springs forholdingthe middle die part away from the base and thelimitingbolts removed.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention has been to provide an improved die for usein the manufacture of metal wheels in which the hub, being made inparts, has such parts riveted together and compressed upon the spokes tofirmly secure the latter to it; and to this end my invention consists inthe die constructed and arranged as hereinafter specified.

In my pending application for United States patent, Serial No. l2 h854,I set forth as an improvement in the manufacture of metal wheels aprocess in the carrying out of which the hub is formed in two parts,both having in their opposing faces series of cavities for receiving thespokes, and one having riveting pins or projections to entercorresponding rivet-openings in the other. The forms of these hub partswhich are preferred are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings of thepresent case. Each has a cylindrical body A to constitute one end of thecompleted hub, the annular enlargement A from which a series of partbosses A A extend outward, longitudinal shoulders at a on the outersides of the latter, fiat web-like portions A A between the part bosses,radial spokereceiving cavities A A, extending from the central bore Aoutward along the part bosses, and an offset from the bore A within theenlargement A preferably of such depth as to bring the inner wall of thelatter to or outside of the plane of the periphery of the portion A. Oneof the hub parts which I call the male half is provided with theriveting pins or projection A, situated upon the webs A A which areadapted to enter the correspondingly-placed rivet openings A A on thefemale half. These pins are shown as integral with the male hub-half,but can Without departure from my invention be made separate from andattached to or connected with the latter in any desired way; The twohub-halves, constructed as shown and described, are to be rivetedtogether and compressed upon the portions of the spokes inserted betweenthem in their cavities in the manner fully set forth in my said pendingapplication. In order that this operation may be most readily andconveniently performed, so as to best secure the firmest and mostuniform compression of the hub-halves upon the spokes,I have invented adie which with one movement of a press can be made to perform not onlythe desired riveting of the hub-halves together, but also thecompression of the latter, with their bosses, upon and around thespokes. Such die consists of the top part B, which, as shown, has thecentral opening B to receive the cylindrical part A of the male half ofthe hub, the recess or rabbet B to receive the enlargement A and engagethe.

shoulder at the outer end or side thereof, and

the cavities B B radiating from such rabbet, adapted to receive thehalf-bosses on the hubhalf. Between said cavities and adjoining theiredges are plane faces B B to engage the shoulders a a on the sides ofthe said halfbosses. The middle part 0 of the die has, like part B, thecentral opening 0 for portion A of the female hub-half, the rabbet C toreceive and engage the enlargement A on the latter, the cavities O O toreceive the half-bosses on said hub-half, and plane faces 0 C adjoiningthe cavity-edges, to engage half-boss shoulders or a. Between thecavities are openings which form the upper ends of passages 0 0 whichextend down through the die part O and in which are the plungers C C,made longer than the passages, so that they will project beyond one endor the other thereof. The base D below part serves as a support for thelower ends of these plungers and as an abutment for the bottoms ofsprings 0 G which, situated in recesses C 0 press against the topsthereof and serve to force and hold the die part 0 normally away fromthe base, as shown in the drawings. Bolts C 0 connected with the baseand passing up through portions of the die part 0, serve to guide themovements of the latter and limit its travel under stress of thesprings. Of the iatter I prefer to have several placed in a series ofrecesses outside of the central or main portion of die part 0 and alarger central one situated in a corresponding recess in said centralportion, though I do not limit myself to such construction andarrangement;

The shape of the plungers C C in crosssection is best made to agree withthat of the riveting pins or projections on the male hubhalt', thoughsuch similarity in shape is not necessary or essential to the operationof the die to produce the desired result.

While I do not limit myself to any particular form and construction ofthe bolts C C for guiding and limiting the motion of the die part 0, Iprefer to have them as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings-that is, withtheir shanks passing through openings in the base and part 0 and thecenters of the springs C O and their ends provided with heads and nuts,respectively, to engage the outer sides of the portions of parts 0 and Dthrough which they pass.

The operation of my die is as follows: The halves of the hub, shaped asshown and described, with portions of the spokes between them situatedin their spoke-receiving cavities, and the riveting pins or projectionsof the male hub-half entering the rivet-openings in the female half, areplaced between the parts 13 and Got the die, with the female halfresting in and engaged by the latter, so that its half-bosses rest inthe cavities G 0 and the rivet-openings are directly over the ends ofthe plungers O C, which, until the springs O O are compressed by thedownward movement of part 0, stand below the .plane of the faces on thelatter between the cavity-edges, as already indicated and shown in Fig.t of the drawings. As pressure is applied to the die, the hub-halveswill first be pressed toward each other to come in close Contact withthe spoke portions between them and cause the riveting pins orprojections on the male hub-half to pass through the openings thereforin the female half, and then, as the pressure overcomes the stress ofthe springs C 0 both parts B and O of the die, with the hub'halvesclasped firmly between them, will descend toward the base D. Thismovement of part 0 causes the plungers C supported on the base, asdescribed, to project at their upper ends above the passages C 0", so asto engage and rivet or head down the ends of the pins or projections A Ato securely fasten the hub-halves together.

When the part 0 has descended, so as to can yield no more-continuedpressure upon the die will forcibly compress the hub-halves upon thespokes in such manner that they will be embraced and held most stronglyandsecurely fastened to the hub. The heading down or upsetting of theriveting pins or projections A A is continued during the compression ofthe spoke ends within the spokereceiving parts of the hub-halves, sothat the latter will be fixed in the condition in which they may be putby the action of the engaging die parts, and the hub and spokes willretain the shapes given them. With the plane faces on the die parts Band O adjoining the boss-receiving cavities therein engaging squarelythe shoulders a a on the outer sides of the half-bosses the compressionof the latter upon the spokes can be secured without any injurious wearon the cavity-edges, such as would be caused by the rubbing of theseedges over the exteriors of the half-bosses in the absence of theoverlapping shoulders at a, to be abutted against squarely by thedie-faces adjoining such edges and to receive directly the pressure ofthe die parts applied to the bosses.

From the above description and from the drawings it will be seen that mydie is automatic in its action and especially well adapted to securewith one operation of the press applied to it the clasping of the spokesfirmly between the hub parts, the riveting of such parts together, andtheir compression upon and around the spokes, so that the latter will bemost firmly compressed and held within the receiving-cavities, and therewill be produced a strong rigid hub with the spokes fastened moststrongly and securely to it.

The die capable of acting in the manner and producing the desirableresult above set forth is simple and strong in construction and notliable to be broken or to get out of orderduring long continued use forthe purpose for which it is intended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a die, incombination with the two opposing parts having suitable cavities to receive and engage portions of the article to be compressed and the seriesof riveting-plungers made movable with reference to such parts,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

-2. In a die, in combination with the two opsuch parts are movable,riveting-plungers in one of said parts having their outer ends engagingthe base, and springs to hold the plunger-containing part normally awayfrom the base, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a die, in combination with the two opposing parts having theirfaces formed to receive and engage portions of the article to becompressed, the base, the riveting-plungers suitably guided in the diepart adjoining the base, springs situated in recesses in such part andengaging the base, so as to force and hold the part normally away fromthe latter, and suitable guiding-bolts to guide said part in itsmovements toward and from the base and limit its motion from the latter,substantially ing-plungers guided in suitable passages in such die partand having their lower ends adapted to be engaged by the base, one ormore springs to force and hold the part normally away from the latter,and the outer die part having its lowerface provided with cavities toreceive and engage the other half of the hub, with its spoke-receivinghalf-bosses to be compressed upon the spokes, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

6. In a die for compressing the halves of a divided wheel-hub upon thespokes and riveting the halves together, in combination with theopposing parts of the die,each provided with a central recess to receivethe outer end of the .respective hub-half, a rabbet or offset from suchopening, a series of radial cavi ties to receive the spoke-holdinghalf-bosses on the hub-half, and plane faces adjoining the edges of suchcavities, the riveting-plungers guided in suitable passages between thebossreceiving cavities on one of the opposing die parts, the stationarybase with reference to which the two opposingparts of the die aremovable engaging the outer ends of the riveting-plungers, and one ormore springs for holding the plunger-containing part normally away fromthe base to allow the plungers to stand with upper ends below thesurfaces between the boss-receiving cavities on the inner face of thelatter die part, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this19th day of February, A. D. 1892.

JAMES R. LITTLE.

Witnesses:

THEODORE B. PAPE, JOSEPH N. CARTER.

